Brunner Lab Research

Lupus Research Group

The Brunner research group focuses on biomarker discovery, the testing of new medications for lupus and trial design. The lab is working on many projects related to lupus, including:

Testing the safety of a drug called triptorelin to protect the reproductive health of girls with lupus

Studying how hormonal changes in puberty affect lupus in girls

Finding better ways to measure and monitor kidney disease and damage

Exploring changes in the brain tissues of children with lupus that lead to neuropsychiatric lupus symptoms using advanced imaging techniques

Developing computer-based screening tests to identify children with neuropsychiatric lupus symptoms early

Defining and improving quality indicators of the medical care of children with lupus

Developing computer-based tests to measure the quality of life of children with lupus effectively

Hermine Brunner, Director of the Lupus Center at Cincinnati Children’s, is a pediatric rheumatologist with a special clinical and research interest in pediatric lupus. She pioneers the development of outcome measures, biomarkers, and improving the quality of care for children with lupus and other rheumatic diseases. Brunner serves as the Scientific Director of the Pediatric Rheumatology Collaborative Study Group.